COLUMBIA - The True/False Film Festival is set to kick off it's ninth year Thursday.

This year more than 800 volunteers have pitched in to make the festival happen. After the snow storm, volunteers were needed for a little more than decorating and selling tickets.

On Tuesday, while most Columbians were snowed in, a group of volunteers made the trek downtown to shovel venue alleys and sidewalks in preparation for the festival-goers.

"This festival has always been a huge community effort. We sent out an email asking people to help and the responses we got were 'yes, anything, I have a shovel and as much time as you want,'" Liz Fornango True/False Film Festival staff member said.

Volunteers get free tickets to the festival to use when they aren't on duty.

Some volunteers have devoted 50 hour work weeks to True/False during the last month.

"I think people want to pitch in. People feel ownership of the fest and we love that. This is not a fest that's set up outside of Columbia and comes in. This is a fest that's grown up out of Columbia and I think it's something the whole town should feel a certain pride and a certain ownership in," David Wilson True/False Film Festival co-director said.